Excessive loads are often applied to basketball rings during their use. These loads are usually applied by basketball players who hang on or slam the ring while executing a "dunk" shot. When a goal assembly rigidly suspends the ring from the backboard, the shock of such excessive loads either deforms the ring itself or, in extreme cases, will shatter a glass backboard. The potential thus exists for injury to players in the vicinity of the goal assembly when these excessive loads are applied to basketball rings.
To alleviate the above-described problem, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has adopted rules allowing the use of movable basketball goal assemblies at the collegiate level. Movable basketball goal assemblies deflect downwardly when excessive loads are applied to the ring assembly thereof to allow the shock created by these loads to be damped or absorbed.
To comply with NCAA rules, a movable basketball goal assembly: (a) must have a locking mechanism which positively locks the basketball ring to the backboard in a horizontal position; (b) must have rebounding characteristics that are identical to those having a non-movable ring; (c) shall not rotate in excess of 30.degree. below its original horizontal position; and (d) shall automatically and instantaneously return to its original horizontal, locked position. A goal assembly constructed to conform to these is a relatively expensive mechanism.
A goal assembly 10 conforming to the requirements set forth in the preceding paragraph is shown attached to a backboard 12 in prior art FIGS. 1 and 2. The goal assembly 10 basically comprises a backboard mounting portion 14 and ring portion 16. The mounting portion 14 basically comprises a housing 18 and a mounting plate 20. The housing 18 is cast from metal and contains a locking mechanism and a shock absorbing mechanism. The housing 18 is welded to the mounting plate 20 along a weld line indicated by reference character 22. Welding the housing 18 to the mounting plate 20 ensures that no play or give exists between the housing 18 and the plate 20. Such play or give might otherwise adversely affect the rebounding characteristics of the assembly 10.
Two upper mounting holes 24 and two lower mounting holes 26 are formed in the mounting plate 20, while two through holes 28 are formed in flanges 30 integrally formed on and extending laterally from the housing 18 (FIG. 2). The through holes 28 are coaxially aligned with the upper mounting holes 24. Extending through the mounting holes 24 and the through holes 28 are a pair of upper mounting bolts 32 (one shown in FIG. 1) adapted to mount the goal assembly 10 through holes 34 in the backboard 12 to holes 36 in a structural member 38 (FIG. 2) that supports the backboard 12. Similarly, a pair of lower mounting bolts 40 (one shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) extend through the lower mounting holes 26 to mount the goal assembly 10 through holes 42 in the backboard 12 and holes 44 in the structural member 38. Nuts 46 and washers 48 (one set shown in FIG. 2) engage the bolts 32 and 40 to secure the goal assembly 10 to the backboard 12 and structural member 38.
The holes 34, 36, 42, and 44 are arranged differently for different backboards. Specifically, the vertical distance between the holes 34,36 and the holes 42, 44 may vary depending upon the design of the backboard. Because the housing 18 is welded to the mounting plate 20, once constructed, the entire prior art goal assembly 10 is dedicated for use with a backboard having a given arrangement of holes therein.